Vegetarian Phyllo Purses Food

SWEET CHEESE PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Finely crumble the goat cheese with a fork in a medium bowl, then stir in the ricotta. Brush a 12-cup muffin pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter; set aside 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl for step 3.
• Use the remaining 6 tablespoons butter for the phyllo sheets: Brush the top of a phyllo sheet all over with butter, then stack 3 more sheets on top, brushing each with butter. Cut the stack in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds to make 6 squares. Press each square into a muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets and melted butter.
• Divide the cheese mixture among the phyllo-lined muffin cups, pressing with a spoon to flatten the filling into the cups. Fold in the phyllo to cover the filling, leaving a little hole in the center to vent steam. Brush the tops of the dough with the reserved 1 tablespoon melted butter. Put the pan on the oven floor and bake until the phyllo purses are dark golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F; move the muffin pan to the middle oven rack and continue baking until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water, cardamom and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, occasionally pressing on the cardamom pods with a spoon, until syrupy, about 8 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. Stir in the orange juice.
• Remove the phyllo purses to a platter as soon as they come out of the oven. Spoon about half of the syrup on top. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in the syrup, then top with the pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup and serve warm.

SPINACH, FETA, AND PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the onion in 1/4 cup of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, add the spinach, and cook the mixture, stirring, until it is combined well. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the Feta and the dill, and let the filling cool.
• Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo with a long side facing you on a work surface and brush it lightly with some of the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Lay another sheet and brush it lightly with some of the remaining oil. With a sharp knife cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds and cut each length crosswise into fifths, making 15 sections, each approximately 4 x 3 1/2 inches. Put a level teaspoon of the filling in the center of each phyllo section. Working with 1 section at a time gather the corners of th phyllo over the filling and twist the phyllo gently. Transfer the pastries to an oiled jelly-roll pan and make pastries with the remaining phyllo, oil, and filling, in the same manner. Bake the pastries in the lower third of a preheated 375°F. oven for 25 minutes, or until they are golden. The pastries may be baked 1 day in advance and kept covered loosely with plastic wrap and chilled. Reheat the pastries in a 375°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated through.

PHYLLO ONION AND DILL PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large saute pan heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper and saute gently over medium heat until the onions have caramelized to a rich golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time add the fresh dill and pour the onions out onto a cookie sheet and allow to cool completely before proceeding on to the purses.
• On a clean and dry workspace lay out 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Lay another sheet of phyllo on top of the first, brush with oil and repeat two more times. Using a pastry wheel, cut off the corners of the dough to achieve a sort of rounded shape.
• Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the onion mixture into the center of the dough. Gather up the edge of the dough, pull towards the center to from the folds of the purse, and pinch the dough to
• seal the purse closed. Brush the outside of the purse with olive oil and repeat this purse making until the onions are all used.
• Place the finished purses on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until crisp and brown.

CARAMELIZED BANANA PURSES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For Crumble:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir sugar and butter in medium saucepan over low heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. Mix in flour, nuts and salt. Spread on baking sheet. Bake until dry and golden, about 30 minutes. Cool. Break into small pieces. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• For Filling:
• Stir sugar, 6 tablespoons butter and lime juice in large nonstick skillet over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and stir until butter melts and mixture begins to brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Add bananas and liqueur; stir until bananas are coated with butter mixture, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and cool.
• Mix 1 cup hazelnut crumble into banana mixture. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap, then damp towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter. Fold phyllo in half crosswise, brush with butter, then fold in half again, forming square; brush with butter. Place generous 1/4 cup filling in center of phyllo square. Bring all edges of phyllo square up toward center and squeeze firmly at top, forming purse. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets, melted butter and filling, forming total of 10 purses. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover phyllo purses loosely with foil. Bake until purses begin to color, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until phyllo is golden, about 15 minutes longer.
• Place 1 purse on each of 10 plates. Spoon 3 tablespoons warm White Chocolate Sauce around each. Sprinkle remaining hazelnut crumble over sauce.